The invention relates generally to audio systems, and more particularly to audio systems with range finding devices.
In the past few years, audio system quality has improved rapidly due to several technological advancements. New media such as compact discs allow for higher quality audio recordings. The designs of speakers have also been modified to enhance both sound clarity and quality. Additionally, advances in digital technology have made dramatic improvements in audio quality. Today, many computer users emphasize audio technology as an important factor in purchasing a computer system. Therefore, computer companies have swiftly incorporated some advances in audio technology into their computer systems. Advances in audio technology such as three dimensional (3D) audio have also is greatly affected the computer game industry. Three dimensional audio systems construct audio output signals that enable the listener to perceive a three dimensional sound field around them. By replicating the audio cues that people use to determine sound location and intensity, the listener may hear audio signals that appear to be generated by sound sources located at different places in the three dimensional sound field.
These advanced audio technologies are very effective if the listener is stationary at the audio focal point of the system. An audio system may have an audio focal point at a location where the balance of the sound from each of the speakers may be approximately equal. However, if a listener moves away from the audio focal point, the listener's perception of the sound quality may degrade. To overcome this, a user may manually adjust the balance of the audio system's speakers or manually adjust the location of the speakers. Actions such as these may interrupt a listener during the course of using an audio system or computer system.
Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a method for automatically modifying the audio output of an audio system based on a change in position of the listener.